Keeping the faith
by heathethanoshkosh
Summary: PAtrick and Kat have kids. One turns out like them, the other like Bianca. Go figure.....
1. Introductions part 1

An old Ford pick up truck pulled into a parking space noisily, barely missing the other cars. Shirley Manson blasted from the mega-speakers in the car. Scuffed Doc-Martins hit the asphalt giving way to slightly baggy jeans and a plain white tee shirt. The boy was about eighteen with focused dark brown eyes and shoulder length, dark brown hair that was about as unkempt as his boots. He yanked out a large, olive green carrier bag from the passenger seat and slipped it onto his shoulder taking the keys out of the ignition and putting it in his pocket. Eyes looked his way, unfriendly eyes, scornful eyes. Sensing someone staring at him, he turned to face them, the dark, cold, mahogany brown orbs flashing dangerously and raised an eyebrow, daring them to continue. They shied away, and he turned and walked toward the school. His name was Ethan Gabriel Verona, a senior at Shady Brook High and to be perfectly honest he couldn't give a tinkers damn what they or anyone else thought. He wasn't here to improve his social status, considering the fact that not having one had made his life a hell of a lot easier. He liked to put people on edge. He liked the fact that people had to come up with reasons for the way he was because all they would get in answer to the question was a glare. He walked toward the castle like structure, plowing through a crowd of noisy unsuspecting kids on skateboards who had to dodge out of the way at the last minute. One unfortunate soul dove off of his skateboard and into the bushes to avoid knocking into Ethan. Ethan stepped on the end hard, flipping it up into his hand and he shoved it toward the boy, the other end jabbing into his throat. The terrified boy whimpered and, grabbing the skateboard out of Ethan's hand scuttled away.  
  
"Wake up late?" a voice asked. Ethan turned to see his best and only friend Abram staring at him. Abram was a blonde but was by no means dumb. He had dark blue eyes and sharp features, a lean but muscled body and an incredibly dry sense of humor. They were the only two people so far that could deal with each other's rapidly changing moods. Abram was so far the only guy Ethan had met that listened to 70's music and Ethan was the only guy Abram knew that appreciated Shakespeare.  
  
"Bite me." Was the reply. Abram grinned and walked with him in tandem toward the school to get their books for class. 


	2. Introductions part 2

Melissa Verona walked down the hallways of her school with her posse, sporting her new Gucci shoes. She was impeccably dressed, from her denim mini and skimpy linen top, to her strappy five-inch heeled pumps.  
  
"Hey Mel, looking good." A boy called out. She looked at him coyly and smiled.  
  
"Thanks Greg." She said. Greg grinned and stared as she walked. God did she love her life. Every one adored her and it was a good thing. She was pretty enough all right, with her wide brown eyes, full lips, delicate features and perfect dirty blonde hair. She was curvy in all the right places and she knew it.  
  
"Hey Melissa." A husky voice said into her ear.  
  
"Hey Nick." She said shyly.  
  
"Your looking well this morning." He said looking her up and down.  
  
"Your welcome to look." She replied. He grinned.  
  
"How's my girl?"  
  
"Fine."  
  
"Good. See you after school?" he asked.  
  
"Ok. She replied eagerly. He swaggered off and she gazed at him dreamily. "Oh, wow." She said to her friend Kelly. "He is like, to totally great!" she squealed.  
  
"I know and he talked to you. I think he likes you." Kelly said.  
  
"I hope so. He's like a senior. If I got him I could like totally, get like, anyone." She said.  
  
"I feel so totally stuffed I like, so splurged this morning I was like, supposed to have like, a half a grape fruit and I had like, a whole one!"  
  
"I like, so, totally know what you talking about, I like had like, a whole bag of Doritos!"  
  
"Wow. So like, any way have you like gotten this month's Cosmo? There were these like, totally cool makeup tips in there I just like, have to get."  
  
"Yeah I have it here, there was like, this thing in there like, about N*Sync. Justin looks like, so totally hot."  
  
"Oh wow are you serious the one issue I miss and my hottie is like, on there. He is sooo totally hot, hot, hot."  
  
"That's what I said."  
  
"No, cause see there's like, a difference. 'So hot', is like, lukewarm..or something, and like, 'so totally hot' is like, really hot and like, 'soooo totally hot is like, major hottie, like Ron Steed, hot, and 'soooooo totally hot, hot, hot' is like Nick Lewis and Justin Timberlake hot. Which is like, so totally hot." Melissa explained  
  
"I like totally get that. How come teachers don't explain things like that?"  
  
"Cause they don't like, read Cosmo."  
  
"Oh! Like so totally true!" she said finally understanding 


	3. I don't dicriminate......I hate everyone...

Stopping at Ethan's locker Ethan and Abram were met with the sight of a boy and girl kissing fervently against it. A look of annoyed intolerance crossed over Ethan's face. Before Abram could read his expression, Ethan had grabbed hold of the boy's shoulder and flung him across the hallway. Glaring at the girl she shrank away from him.  
  
"Hey what is your glitch man!!" the boy yelled angrily before he realized who he was yelling at.  
  
"My glitch?" Ethan asked testily. The boy's face registered fear in the face of he attacker. "My glitch would be you and your one other brain cell exchanging bodily fluids in front of my locker. Contrary to popular opinion I do not acquire instant gratification from barfing at or before nine am."  
  
"Geez, man. I was just kidding. You need to chill." The boy said.  
  
"And you need to get a room." He replied. They walked away and Ethan opened his locker pulling out his books. Abram caught a glimpse of Aislinn Mussilani walking down the hallway in baggy jeans that was undoubtedly for a guy a wallet chain and a small zugged up tee shirt that read 'Eat mor chikin' on the front. She was an Irish, Italian beauty with blue gray eyes, curly, waist length, fire red hair, and an attitude that matched it. She was a cross between a gothic biker babe and a shaggy skateboarding chic and was the only worthy opponent in the whole school for the two boys.  
  
"Aislinn." Abram said to Ethan and his head shot up finding the red head and following her.  
  
"Hey Mussolini." He called in jest. She hated that name, and he knew it.  
  
"Bite me Verona." She replied annoyed over her shoulder.  
  
"You wish." He called after her and she flipped him off in reply. Ethan grinned and slammed his locker shut.  
  
"I swear, she's the only worthy one in the whole damn lot." Ethan said stuffing his books in his bag.  
  
"I'm sure of it." Abram said staring at him knowingly.  
  
"Don't even try me. That is not even in the slightest sense a possibility." Abram shrugged and backed off. "Unborn is playing at Club Misfits next week Friday. Got tickets" Ethan said as they started walking in the opposite direction to class.  
  
"Wicked. Pick me up at nine. You know, I knew I was your friend for a reason." Abram said breaking away from Ethan as they reached the classroom. "I gotta go."  
  
"No class today?" Ethan asked  
  
"Naw, I might learn something." He replied grinning.  
  
"Yeah well make sure and write to me from Clown School!" Ethan yelled behind him  
  
"Hey, I make no guarantees!" Ethan rolled his eyes and walked into his classroom. He couldn't remember the last time Abram had come to English class. He managed to pull a B every year however, and he, Ethan, was not by any means his keeper, so he didn't bother him about it that much. Wasn't sure how he did it, but he made no attempt to understand. He walked over to his seat and slumped into it with a sigh flinging his bag onto the ground. Pulling out his books he placed them on his desk. Suddenly his nose was assaulted with the smell of Tommy Hilfiger. He closed his eyes, fighting down a cough as he felt his eyes water with the effort. Holy God could she wear anymore perfume? He thought as he reopened his eyes and struggled to breathe.  
  
"Sylvia, what a disagreeable surprise." He said flatly.  
  
"How did you know?" came the sickeningly sweet voice.  
  
"Well it's funny you should ask that cause for a minute there I thought that I was once again in the perfume section in Dillards, and then I realized that the unmistakable stench of cheap skank perfume that had swept me away was none other than yourself." He replied with bogus cordiality.  
  
"You really should work on your people skills Verona."  
  
"Pray tell, why is that?"  
  
"Because then you wouldn't be a complete loss."  
  
"My mission in life." He said sarcastically. "Look, could you remove yourself from my immediate vicinity? You're infecting my personal space." Sylvia rolled her eyes and went back to her seat. He couldn't understand why she liked to annoy him. You would think that after three years of being rebuffed she could take a hint, but then again there was always an exception to every rule. He glanced up and saw Aislinn slide into her seat next to him as the bell rang. She always seemed to get to class on time by the skin of her teeth. She yanked her book out of her army, carrier bag and placed it on her desk just as Mrs. Tinsel walked in. He glanced down at her bag, noting her mammoth collection of key chains the many stickers and buttons that read bits of her personality and pieces of material that had random quotes and even embroidery on some held to her bag by safety pins.  
  
"Ok class." Mrs. Tinsel said. "What did you think of Romeo and Juliet?" he glanced around the class "Ron?"  
  
"I hated it. It was so boring, I mean, who talks like that anyway?" He said. Ethan rolled his eyes but kept his peace. It was a typical answer from him.  
  
"Well it was written in the sixteenth century, so the prose can tend to be a little baffling at first but-"  
  
"It's not baffling." Ron interrupted. "Just stupid." The class broke into giggles, no doubt directed at the teacher.  
  
"If you understood the prose then you wouldn't think it was stupid." Ethan said turning to face him.  
  
"Really?" Ron said still grinning at his not so valid input.  
  
"Yes, but its all right Ron. I understand that not everyone can experience brain activity." Ethan snapped. Ron's smile faded, and Ethan turned back around in his seat as the class's giggles ceased.  
  
"What did you think Ethan? Who was your favorite character?" Mrs. Tinsel asked.  
  
"Mercutio. He was pretty cool. He wasn't blinded by emotion like Romeo was. He kinda took pleasure in the details. He rode his own melt, so to speak." He replied.  
  
"So are you saying that that was Romeo's downfall?" she asked, "Being blinded by emotion?"  
  
"Yeah, something like that."  
  
"Interesting. Aislinn?" she asked looking at the pretty red head.  
  
"I liked Juliet. Not because she's the main character, but because she changes. I mean, she goes from being a shy, vulnerable, submissive child to a strong, reliable, faithful woman who isn't afraid to fight for who of what she believes in which would be Romeo and their relationship." She said. "She's a great character."  
  
"Yeah so was Mother goose." Said Derek, Sylvia's boyfriend. Aislinn spun around in her seat to fix him with a wicked glare.  
  
"Back of Jacko! There is no need for you to rag on people who use their minds on a regular basis!" she barked. Ethan fought down a smirk and ran a hand through his hair.  
  
"Shut up witch."  
  
"Fascist."  
  
"Hag!"  
  
"Pathological anal prober!" she shouted back.  
  
"Well said." Ethan murmured, grinning keeping his eyes on his book.  
  
"Menstrual wench!"  
  
"I'd rather be that than a dumbass!"  
  
"THAT IS ENOUGH!" Mrs. Tinsel screamed fiercely. "Aislinn go to Mrs. Higgins' office!" Aislinn's eyes widened.  
  
"What? Mrs. Tinsel-"  
  
"GO!" she cried cutting her off. Aislinn shut her mouth and gathered up her things, seething quietly and stormed out of the classroom, ramming her elbow into Derek's head as she stalked past him. Derek made a face at her back and grinned as he rubbed his head.  
  
"I don't know why you're grinning Mr. Comget. You have detention." Mrs. Tinsel said. "That's right. Detention." She added to his shocked face. 


	4. Guidence from a Friut loop

"Again!" said Mrs. Higgins, peering down at the girl from her thin wire frames. "This is the third time this week Aislinn." Aislinn rolled her eyes and sighed. She didn't know why the woman even tried.  
  
"Yes but I'm doing better, he started it this time." Aislinn said fiddling with her bag.  
  
"Aislinn. You need to stop doing this. Classmates, teachers find you slightly…-"  
  
"Aggravating?"  
  
"Well…Heinous venomous hag is the most common description." Mrs. Higgins said wincing as if it were a medical condition. She was the ultimate 50's woman. She had the glasses, the sweater and poodle skirt the mentality, everything. "This cannot go on." If I only had a penny for every time I heard that. Aislinn thought.  
  
"Well when he starts on me what am I suppose to do? Stand there and say stone me brethren?!" She asked testily.  
  
"After your um… incident and your, …for lack of a better word sabbatical, you can't afford to do anything else." Mrs. Higgins stared at Aislinn. "Why are you like this?" she asked. "You aren't ignorant or stupid, you aren't abused, from what I can tell your are only mildly psychotic-"  
  
"Damn is it only that?" Aislinn interrupted in shock.  
  
"Why is it that you are such a-" she continued glaring at the red head, but suddenly at a loss for words.  
  
"Screw up?"  
  
"No you're so… You have the symptoms of a psychopathic killer!" she exclaimed. "Why?"  
  
"I will not be made a victim." Aislinn said simply. "There is nothing wrong with having an opinion, or expressing it."  
  
"With you, expressing an opinion is like the atomic bomb. Sounds great in theory, but millions of people suffer."  
  
"Hey that science lab thing was an accident!" Aislinn protested.  
  
"Yes but you attempting to castrate Dominic Marshall with a pair of scissors wasn't." Aislinn sighed and rolled her eyes.  
  
"Hey! That was done with the noblest of intentions!" she protested  
  
"And what about Kevin Brindle?"  
  
"He was probably ladled with STD's anyway."  
  
"And what about you attempting to stab Sylvia Harold with that massive Benihana?"  
  
"That was a joke! Christ you people are wound up tight, haven't you ever seen 'Scary Movie.' The dude stabbed the chicky, Yasmine Beth with a knife in her boob and silicone popped out onto the knife when he pulled it out. It was classic."  
  
"Are you trying to tell me that you were checking to see if her breasts were real or not?"  
  
"Oh no, I already knew her rack was as fake as her face but I wanted to see if the silicone would pop out."  
  
"You are crazy." Mrs. Higgins said shaking her head in defeat. "Absolutely crazy."  
  
"Yeah well I didn't need your help to figure that out." Aislinn said plainly.  
  
"You can go." Mrs. Higgins said. Aislinn got up and walked out slinging her bag over her shoulder. She didn't have anything to prove to these people. She was living her life for herself. Not anyone else. 


	5. So many Pedestrians.....so little time.....

"So like, I have nothing to do for like, Saturday and I was like, wondering if we could like, go see that new Brittany Spears movie." Melissa asked as she and Kelly walked to their bus.  
  
"Yeah she is like, so like…. beyond….like, wow!"  
  
"I know do you like, see how like, perfect her hair is?"  
  
"I know she is like so awesome!"  
  
"She is like, so my like, idol!"  
  
"Wow. 'Cause you like, look like her."  
  
"Really?" Melissa asked touching her hair.  
  
"Yeah you're that plastic." Aislinn said walking past with Paige. The two girls glared at her.  
  
"As if?!" Melissa squealed angrily.  
  
"Oh, like wow! Can you like, believe her?"  
  
"I know, she's like, a mutant!"  
  
"Hey babe. Wanna ride?" Nick said cruising up to them in his shiny red jaguar convertible. Melissa glanced at Kelly, and they squealed excitedly together before climbing into the car. Nick pressed on the gas and speed off.  
  
"You're kidding me!" Abram said dubiously.  
  
"I kid you not." Ethan replied grinning as they headed over to his car.  
  
"She said that?" he asked. "Man, I can't believe I missed that!"  
  
"Well if you attended class," Ethan paused and gasped feigning shock. "You wouldn't have." Abram glared at him.  
  
"Shove it." He gritted.  
  
"Simple reminder. Ethan replied.  
  
"Simple right hook." Abram warned in return. Ethan's grin widened as he threw his bag into the tray of his truck and climbed into his car. Ethan pulled his Garbage tape from the deck and shoved Creed in there. He started up his car and rock blasted from the stereo system of his truck. He sat there for a while soaking in the song 'Freedom Fighter'. He nodded along with the music for a while, and then started singing along with Abram. He put his car into gear and revved his engine starting out of his parking space. He looked up and slammed on his brakes as Aislinn walked in front of his car. The momentum sent him and Abram flying forward, and they hit the seat backs hard. Ethan sat there for a second before sticking his head out the window.  
  
"CHRIST WOMAN!! WALK MUCH?!?!" he bellowed.  
  
"WATCH WHERE YOU'RE STEAMROLLING ASSHOLE!!!" Aislinn shrieked back, stalking out of his way. As he drove past they graced each other with fake smiles and he flipped her off. She glared at him, seething quietly. He infuriated her to the point of justifiable homicide. Every since he had humiliated her in the ninth grade by lighting her hair on fire during a science lab he had been her sworn enemy. She still had yet to live down the nickname 'Fire head', as dumb as it was, he had ruined her high school reputation. And then he had started up the trend of calling her 'Mussolini' instead of her real name, 'Mussolani'.  
  
"Feel better?" asked her friend.  
  
"Paige, not now." She said, climbing into her car. She stuck the keys into the ignition and stared at the collection of key chains that clanked together. "Ugh! I hate that guy! He is so rude! And…ugh!"  
  
"Gorgeous?" Paige asked climbing into the car and staring at her friend.  
  
"In an annoying sort of way." She turned the key and the engine of her old Rolls Royce rumbled. "Opinionated" she added.  
  
"So are you." Paige said as Aislinn pulled out of her parking space.  
  
"No, see he is at the point of swaggering. I can't stand him." She said as she sped off, with Marilyn Manson blasting. 


	6. Battle of the siblings.

"Mother I'm home!" Ethan called, walking through the front door of his home and slamming it shut. He dropped his bag by the door and started removing his shoes.  
  
"Kitchen!" Kat called back. He walked into the kitchen, and saw his mother at the stove. Her hair was down to her hip now in two consecutive knots at her neck.  
  
"Uh oh." He remarked grinning. "Mother haven't we talked about this?"  
  
"You know what?" she snapped back good naturedly, "Screw you up your ass, ok? Just shut up." He walked up to her and kissed her on the cheek. He over to the cabinet and grabbed a granola bar, but before he could even close it back Kat slapped it out of his hand.  
  
"Oh, wow! Ow! Mother!" he cried watching as she snatched it from off the floor.  
  
"You'll ruin your dinner." She said slipping it into her apron. He glared at her momentarily.  
  
"Speaking of, what's your poison?"  
  
"Spaghetti and meat sauce." She replied glaring right back.  
  
"I really think I'll take my chances with the granola bar." he said, eyeing the red goop, mistrustfully.  
  
"Really, it's not that bad. I am not that bad!" she protested.  
  
"Yeah your right mother, you make a mean bowl of cereal." He replied walking into the living room. He grabbed his latest form of literary entertainment and flopped down onto the couch. Flipping open to the page he had last stopped on, he began to read.  
  
About an hour later the front door opened and his sister walked in. Ethan fought against the urge to grind his teeth.  
  
"Mommy, I'm home!" she called in her sickeningly sweet voice. Ethan looked up in annoyance and then went back to his book.  
  
"I'm in here Melissa." Kat replied.  
  
"Mommy I'm home!" Ethan mimicked rolling his eyes. She made him sick, from her hairspray infested hair to her synthetic smile. Melissa graced Ethan with a grimace and then walked into the kitchen.  
  
"Hi, mommy."  
  
"Hello sweetie." Kat said kissing her on the cheek. "How was school dear?"  
  
"Good." Melissa said before walking into the living room. Ethan looked up at her, his eyes burning with contempt.  
  
"And where have you been?" he asked.  
  
"Nowhere." She replied flatly.  
  
"Don't lie to me, I see Nick all over you."  
  
""Oh so you're spying on me now?" she asked  
  
"No, I'm not that bored yet." He replied with a fake smile. She returned it and then turned on the television as she sat on the love seat. Ethan fought down the expletives on the tip of his tongue and kept on reading. Did she not see him trying to read? It wasn't like she didn't have a television in her room. "Do you mind?" he asked.  
  
"No, not really." She replied. "Oooh, N*Sync!" she squealed excitedly. The muscle in his jaw flexed, and his finger twitched. Those imbeciles were driving him crazy. Why did he have to go this torture again? Oh right, he didn't! Ethan marked his page and placed his book onto the coffee table. Then he walked over to her, grabbed the remote from her hand, and switched off the television "Ugh!! What is your problem, I was watching that!"  
  
"What, a couple of teenybopper retards spew meaningless lyrics to computerized fodder? So entertaining!" he retorted.  
  
"They're not retarded!" she cried. Ethan sat back down in the couch placing the remote in his lap and started back on his book.  
  
"They're the reason 'Hooked on Phonics' was invented." He replied not taking his eyes from his literature.  
  
"Oh and Marilyn Manson isn't an SOS for psychiatric help?"  
  
"Right cause he pales in comparison to the tweaked out little skanks you listen to."  
  
"Pat Benatar?" she asked  
  
"Try Brittany Spears." He said still not looking at her.  
  
"Oh as if, she is so totally cool!"  
  
"Yeah in the land of the bored and mindless." He paused in his reading and looked up at her. "Finally an explanation." He said before going back to his book.  
  
"You're such a jerk1"  
  
"As opposed to being a doily?" he asked raising an eyebrow.  
  
"ENOUGH!!" Kat yelled from the kitchen. Ethan looked up to see his mother storm into the living room a look of extreme annoyance on her face. "The two of you are ridiculous! If you can't be in the same room then split the hell up. I hear one more display of sibling hatred and I will personally send you both to the intensive care unit! Any one think I'm exaggerating?!?" she cried glaring at the two children. Ethan swallowed and looked back at his book, choosing not to stare at his mother when she was in one of her moods. Kat turned and walked back into the kitchen without another word.  
  
"Happy now?" Melissa asked glaring at him.  
  
" Why don't you do us both a favor and not speak unless you can improve the silence." He bit out rising from the couch and pushing past her, walking up the stairs to his room. Melissa glared at him and then flopped back onto the couch grabbing the remote and switching back on the television. 


	7. Like father like son....

2 hours later….  
  
"I'm home!" Patrick called walking through the front door suitcase in hand, and closing it behind him. His hair was at his jawbone now, rather than his shoulders and he was dressed in a suit, but the top two buttons were undone and he wore no tie. He had never, ever gotten accustomed to those retarded things. Kat glanced up at him as he dropped his briefcase next to the door, and then went back to her book.  
  
"Hi hon." She said.  
  
"How was work?" he asked walking over the couch and kissing her on the crown of her head.  
  
"Better than yesterday. I think my outburst got to them. They're finally taking me seriously."  
  
"See? I told you that all you needed to do was show them some of the Kat Stratford that I grew up with and they'd figure out the rest real quick." He said rubbing her shoulders.  
  
"Yeah, yeah." She grumbled rolling her eyes. Would it kill him to not be completely right once in a while? She glanced up at him, to see his face right next to hers. "Thank you Patrick." She replied giving into her smile. He smiled and kissed her cheek.  
  
"Where's the trouble?" he asked, grinning knowingly.  
  
"Upstairs." She said going back to her book.  
  
"It's quiet." He commented as he walked upstairs.  
  
"Yeah I had another outburst this afternoon as well."  
  
"Feel better?"  
  
"Shut up Patrick." Kat snapped  
  
"Any survivors?" he asked jokingly.  
  
"I'm warning you Verona!" she called. Patrick grinned and headed over to his son's room, knowing that he had probably gotten the brunt of the force of 'Hurricane Kat'. As he neared the door he heard the old Metallica ballad 'Enter Sandman' blearing. Not bothering to knock he opened the door. The first thing that hit was the smell of incense, then he saw the multitude of lit scented candles, then he saw his son, shirtless covered in a sheen of sweat in the midst of his typical Tai-Chi session. He could never understand how Ethan could do Tai- Chi to Metallica, but then again his son was quirky like that. He glanced around the room. At the poster infested walls, the flyers, random intelligence quotes scribbled down onto paper, collages, drawings, pictures, an ancient looking, well used broadsword above his four post, canopy bed with burgundy silk sheets, and the steel pronged forks above his large mirror. Strings of small Chinese lanterns hung from his ceiling. His room could be considered very large, and Ethan considered it his, and as a result he had dominated his space completely.  
  
"Hey dad." Ethan said turning down his music.  
  
"Hey."  
  
"What's the occasion?"  
  
"Make anyone cry?" Patrick asked sitting on Ethan's bed.  
  
"Was working on Melissa. Mother interrupted."  
  
"How was it?" Patrick asked already knowing the answer. Ethan grabbed a towel and dabbed at his face and then slung it over his shoulder, walking around his room snuffing out his candles.  
  
"Loud." He replied after some thought.  
  
"That sounds about right." Patrick said grinning. Ethan smiled as he came to the last candle and opted to blow it out instead. He turned to face his father. "Almost ran over a girl today." He reported.  
  
"Is that right? With your ravishing good looks?" Ethan looked at him as if he was some new strange species.  
  
"Sorry, no can do. It was more along the lines of with my rusty, banged up, four wheel Ford truck."  
  
"Ah, well. There's always tomorrow." Patrick replied. Ethan grinned and ran a hand through his hair.  
  
"Dad you are a strange individual." Ethan said.  
  
"Yeah well look on the bright side. You finally have a explanation for why you turned out the way you did."  
  
"Oh, way ahead of you Dad, I already have one."  
  
"Is that right?"  
  
"Yeah, an acid trip." Ethan said grinning. Patrick rolled his eyes.  
  
"Dinner will be ready in a few." He said.  
  
"What, afraid to die alone?" Ethan asked teasingly.  
  
"Hey watch it!" Patrick replied grinning, before closing the door and heading back downstairs. Ethan grabbed a towel and headed over to the bathroom to take a shower. Sometimes he wondered why the hell he got stuck with such cool parents and then others……he was just glad that they were there. 


	8. life sucks and then there's the rule boo...

Ethan sat at the dining room table with his family glancing suspiciously at the pasta. "It's safe." Patrick said. Kat glared at him and stared at Ethan. "How was school?" she asked. "The way it always is." He replied flatly. "Like?" "Uneventful and uninspiring." He said ladling out a large heap of spaghetti. Melissa cringed in disgust. "Ugh! How can you eat like that?" "Like what?" he asked glancing at her and spooning out sauce. "Like a cow? God that could feed me for a week!" she cried picking at her own miniscule serving of dinner. He paused and fixed her with a look of contempt. "Well I'm so terribly sorry Mrs. Poster girl for bulimia but since I don't plan on securing myself a place in the 'I'm gorgeous cause I don't eat' hall of fame, sorry to disappoint you but I unlike other people eat. Don't rag because I'm healthy." She rolled her eyes and continued to pick at her food. "I have combat Tuesday Thru Friday." Ethan said to his parents. "Which weapons?" Kat asked. "Forks and broadsword." Ethan twirled some spaghetti onto his fork and started to eat. "Oh wow, this is good. Weird." Kat glared at him. "Um Daddy?" Melissa started. "Yes darling?" Patrick replied. Ethan rolled his eyes. "Um There's this party, and don't get upset." Patrick's eyes shot up to his daughter and Ethan quirked an eyebrow. "That's great, but who's throwing it?" he asked "Nick Lewis." She whispered hopefully. "Interesting." Ethan murmured. Melissa glared at him and Patrick glanced between the two of them. " Interesting? Why, why is it interesting? Do you know a Nick Leggis?" "Lewis." Melissa corrected. "Whatever." He said. Ethan shrugged absently and continued to eat.  
  
"Don't blow smoke at me Ethan." Patrick said firmly. Ethan placed down his fork and sighed, swallowing his food. "Yeah I do. he's a punk." "Well dressed, fourth in his class-" Melissa added. Patrick and Kat looked at her. "What! Fourth in his-" Ethan interrupted and they glanced at him. "Yes Ethan fourth in his class!" "Which class 'How to be a dumbass 101'?" "No as in the graduating class, as in the class of 2031." "Nick Lewis fourth in his class!" he said dubiously. "Yes!" "That's bullshit Melissa, grade-A bullshit-" "Ethan." Kat started. He glanced at her. "Aislinn Mussolani is fourth in the class of 2031." "Ok, now you're talking crazy talk. All she has is an AA membership card and two legs spread wide open!" "No dear now you're mixing her up with Sylvia, the idol of your closely knitted poser posse. Aislinn happens to have not only common sense and a brain but wit and a sense of humor." "Wit?" "Yeah wit you know, an imaginatively perceptive and articulate individual especially skilled in banter or persiflage? Maybe you should invest in some, you know some time when you aren't killing brain cells with hairspray." " Daddy he cares about me-" They looked back at Melissa. Patrick reached out of his glass of water and took a sip. Maybe he should let her go this time. "Too much if you know what I mean." Kat and Patrick's eyes snapped toward Ethan as Patrick choked on his water, his eyes wide. "WHAT?" he exclaimed. "Christ Ethan, Dad that is not true!" "You better pray to God it's not!" Patrick said. "The hell it isn't." Ethan mumbled and Kat gave him the 'watch-your-mouth- before-you-lose-it' look. "What are you talking about!?" Melissa cried. "'What am I talking about?'" Ethan started mimicking her, "What are you talking about, the guy is a shark. A shark with a constant erection." Ethan continued calmly his voice dropping down to its normal tone. Kat glanced at Patrick who had a stricken look on his face. "You know that is not true!" "Do I?" Ethan asked. "Melissa I don't think I want you going." Patrick said. Melissa's eyes widened in shock and a choked sound escaped her lips. "But Daddy-!" she started. "From what I hear-" "But he's lying! He got burnt in his freshmen year and he's trying to drag me down!" "What I'm trying to prevent is a baby boomer." Ethan said, finally speaking up. "You wanna get knocked up? By all means have fun, but-" "Ok that's it, Melissa you're not going." "But that's-" she started, then realizing that it was over with her father, stared at Kat. "MOM!!" and all eyes turned on her. Kat glanced at Patrick, then at Ethan and finally at her daughter. She didn't want to squash her daughter's social life. She didn't want to be like Melissa's grandfather. "Honey please try to understand. We just don't think that your head is screwed on tight enough to attend strange events like these." "Strange events? Mom you're making it sound like some blood and gore ritual on - what's that show. Xena!" "Isn't it!" Patrick exclaimed. A quick, sharp glance at him form Kat silenced him. "No it isn't!" "Then what is it, and lower your voice young lady." Kat said calmly. Melissa sighed feeling a bit of hope fill her. "It's a party, I go I dance, I schmooze, I come home it is soooo not a world-in-peril-thing." She said. " And if you would stop listening to..Scrooge over there, and listen to me the person involved, you would get that." "He's your older brother Melissa, do you think he wants you hurt?" Kat said. Melissa stared at Ethan who was calmly finishing up his dinner "I'm thinking yes." She said. "That is not true!" Kat cried, "Tell her Ethan!" "He hates me!" Melissa cried, tears building up in her eyes. "I don't hate you Melissa, and if you would stop listening to your inexperienced clan of sophomores who don't know their head from their-" "Ethan." Kat warned again. He paused with a sigh, glancing at her, rethinking his words. "They, are on the same level you are Mel." He started gently. "Do you really expect them to know better? They don't know him like I do, they can't translate his brainwaves." "Oh and you can?" "A lot better than you that's for sure."  
  
"No that's doubtful, very doubtful." She replied. Ethan looked up at the ceiling praying for patience. "Melissa, I have been in the locker room with that guy for the past 4 years and it will shock you the intimate details I'm privy to." Ethan replied. Melissa glared at him, resentment and anger building up inside of her. "I hate you." Se spat at him, then she sprang up from the table, her chair screeching on the tile floor as Ethan threw up his hands in defeat. "You don't mean that." Patrick said. "Oh no?" she asked as she started walking out the dining room. "Melissa get back here!" Kat cried. Melissa stalked back to the table and sat back down in her chair. "Look I don't want you to have no social life, but I don't want you getting hurt either. So.my dad did this to your aunt Bianca and I. I'm gonna have to do it to you." "Mom don't-" Ethan started. "Melissa if you want to go out Ethan will have to go with you as an escort. If he goes you go, if he dates, then you can date but you have to go with him. Like a double date." "Oh god I'd rather stay at home." Melissa groaned. "Well that can be arranged." Kat said. "Until I feel like you understand what you're getting yourself into, those are the rules." "Are you crazy, I have to baby sit that bilious pigeon!" Ethan exclaimed. "Any objections?" Kat asked meeting his incredulous look squarely. He stared back for a few minutes and then looked away. "Fine, fine, fine." He said. Ethan glared at Melissa who glared right back. He couldn't believe this was happening. 


End file.
